The launch of a new hockey season also means the launch of a new fantasy hockey season. For those who like something a little more interactive than hockey pools, Yahoo! Fantasy Hockey is a popular and ever-growing option.

While most teams have already made tweaks, some will still be looking for a little help on the waiver wire or from the free agent pool – so today, we look at some of the best players still available for nothing in 50% or more of Yahoo! Leagues.

After facing a high-powered offense in Philadelphia, the Canucks travel to the Motor City and get to face ...
A high-powered offence. Perfect. Have fun with that, guys.
(Photo by None/Getty Images North America

Game Day Recon: Game 4 - Canucks @ Red Wings

The Vancouver Canucks look to rebound from a closer-than-it-should-have-been loss in Philadelphia as the head to the Joe to take on perennial powerhouses, the Detroit Red Wings.

And the first order of business for the Canucks should be to get their defence back on track.

(Full disclosure: A few weeks ago, Timo Seppa asked me if I was interested in reviewing the latest iteration of Hockey Prospectus' annual for the Nations' audience. I accepted a free PDF copy of the book for review purposes, with no other compensation offered. I'm not trying to make myself out as particularly noble, though. Had Timo offered me a giant vat of cash in exchange, I'm fairly certain that I would have accepted it - RC)

When does the revolutionary assimilate into the mainstream? That's the question that I've been asking myself over the last few years as the statistical analysis movement occurring in hockey blogging circles has become increasingly accepted by the game's insider cohort. We've gotten a few signs this summer that the pace of acceptance is quickening, with Calgary's hiring of Chris Snow and the amusingseries of deflections Doug WIlson felt compelled to resort to when he was interviewed by Fear the Fin amongst them.

That noted, most season previews still are infused by a sense of the traditional, so a book like Hockey Prospectus' 11/12 annual that grounds itself in the modern approach is operating in a space that remains somewhat uncluttered. This year's edition, nearly 500 pages in length, is HP's third attempt to create a season preview imbued with the modern sensibilites of the hockeysphere.

Though Vancouver hasn’t had much success at the draft table with regards to defensemen in the past decade (save for 2004 and Alex Edler), they have accumulated a decent list of young blue-liners in recent years through the draft and free agency. Though the argument could be made that, recently drafted or signed prospects haven’t had time to allow for the “shine” to wear off yet...

Looking at the current defensive roster, there are two defensemen drafted by the team (Edler and Bieksa), and five acquired through free agency or trade (Hamhuis, Ballard, Alberts, Salo, Rome, and Tanev). Drafting young talent is always important, but lately the organization has placed an importance on scouring overage prospects to sign, as well.

I am going to speak about two young defensemen who the organization acquired this past summer – one signed from Sweden, and another picked in the 5th round of 2011 NHL Entry Draft.

When I last wrote about this issue, fellow LeafsNation contributor The '67 Sound rightly pointed to two issues in the study: 1) Sample size is something of a problem, and 2) Corsi numbers would probably be more accurate, as the stat represents an increase in sample size in and of itself, since it's counting shots instead of goals. I'll admit it: I was getting lazy.